BackMeet Priyanka: An odd-even volunteer
A civil defence volunteer, her job is to flag down erring vehicles and alert the traffic cops stationed in the nearby post
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New Delhi: If you’ve passed through the capital’s ever-busy ITO intersection ever since the second phase of the Delhi government’s odd-even scheme started on 15 April, you’ve probably seen Priyanka (who doesn’t use a surname). Her ilk constitute the faceless back office of the odd-even scheme launched by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government.
Sporting a sleeveless yellow jacket, her face covered till her eyes with a mask, she holds up a placard from 2pm till 8pm, exhorting people to follow the odd-even rule. A civil defence volunteer, her job is to flag down erring vehicles and alert the traffic cops stationed in the nearby post. She is the proverbial good cop with no punitive powers of her own.
For her efforts, Priyanka is paid ₹ 450 a day. The money, though, will only come in a month or two later. Civil defence volunteers employed to assist the Delhi Police in the first phase of the odd-even experiment in January were paid in March.
Standing guard
At 2.20pm on Tuesday, 19 April, Delhi is sweltering at 41 degrees Celsius—and Priyanka is on the lookout for cars with number plates that end in even digits. She has just begun her six-hour shift. For company, she has a bottle of water that’s already started to simmer. Priyanka is careful with the water and drinks it only when she absolutely must; she is allowed only one bathroom break at the Delhi Police headquarters, located a few metres away, during the shift.
Twenty minutes into the fourth day of her first-ever assignment as a civil defence volunteer, Priyanka is yet to spot a vehicle with an even-numbered plate. The previous day, though, she flagged down four offending cars. One had an aged couple, who told her that they weren’t aware of the odd-even rule. Following instructions given to her, she turned them in to the cops, who decided not to fine them. Penalties, according to many volunteers Mint spoke to, are often contingent on the discretion of cops.
The other three cars had people stuck in medical emergencies and were on their way to the hospital. Were they rude when she flagged them down? “No, they told me they didn’t have a choice." Did she feel bad about turning them in? “I just did my duty."
It is just a job
Priyanka, quite unlike most people in the city, doesn’t have an opinion on the efficacy of the odd-even scheme. She, however, believes people have generally been receptive to the policy. “This is a VIP area; educated people respect rules," she says. (Priyanka’s diagnosis about ITO being a low-offence area turns out to be true; in the hour-and-a half spent at ITO, we didn’t spot a single aberrant vehicle.)
During the course of the next hour, the Delhi sky turns cloudy and the afternoon becomes even more oppressive—and Priyanka’s supervisor, Javed Quereshi, is cranky about her long interview. “Aren’t you going to interview the boys?" he asks.
The boys—all of Priyanka’s co-volunteers for the day are men—are not happy about the heat and the dust. “What’s there to like about this work," one says, when asked if he liked the job.
Priyanka, though, is composed and matter-of-fact. Like she was an hour back when we started speaking. But then, for Priyanka, this is not about spotting law-breaking vehicles and curbing pollution. It is a stepping stone to a much bigger dream.
Priyanka, 22 years old, graduated last year with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University’s Open Learning Centre. Her favourite subjects were history and education. She also holds a diploma in computer application. Occasionally, she moonlights as a beautician too. “Nothing hi-fi: just some threading and waxing," she explains.
But what really gets Priyanka’s mojo going is the vardi, the police uniform. “There’s something magical about the uniform," she says in Hindi, with an unmistakable glint in her eyes.
“I’ve filled the Uttar Pradesh police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) recruitment forms; this will help me build endurance for the physical tests," she says.
What is the infatuation with the uniform? Has she always wanted to be a cop? “Yes, my uncle is in the BSF; that’s how I developed this interest to be a cop."
Priyanka grew up in the city’s Sant Nagar area with her two brothers. Her elder brother is a now a salesman with an company that manufactures water purification equipment. “RO machines," she explains. The younger one is still in school.
Priyanka studied at the Burari Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. She scored 61% in her standard 12 board examinations, following which she enrolled herself in Delhi University’s Open Learning Centre. Classes, she says, were held every Sunday in the university’s Art Faculty.
In December 2015, after graduating, Priyanka filled up the forms for the Civil Defence Corps, under the impression that she’d become a Home Guard, only to be told later that it was too physically demanding. She was shortlisted to be a civil defence volunteer and made to undergo a month-long physical training camp and a basic first-aid course. Her father, who is an employee with the Delhi Jal Board and a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarngar, wasn’t happy. “He thinks this job is too physically demanding."
Priyanka becomes fiercely protective of her father when asked if he insists on her staying at home and helping her mother. “He never says no; I’ve always been given a choice." So is he okay with her being at ITO, flagging down cars? “He is not, but he will come around. He always does."
At 8pm when her shift ends, Priyanka would take the Teevra Mudrika Seva bus to Sant Nagar or one of the boys in the shift would drop her off on his scooty. Has she made friends with the boys? “No," she says, “I am getting married next year." There are two options but she hasn’t seen or met either of them. “They are vardiwalas; I’m sure they will be nice." She will meet the guys when she goes to Muzaffarnagar during her younger brother’s summer break in June.
But Priyanka is not particularly keen on marriage. She’d rather get her own vardi; the UP Police’s recruitment process, she hopes, will begin soon.
Till then, she will make do with the sleeveless yellow jacket that says “Civil Defence".
So next time you cross ITO watch out for Priyanka. If you are a violator, be sure she has a hawk eye on you.
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